Catch You, Catch Me
by Hanakon
Summary: After returning late from a visit with her family in the modern era, Kagome stumbles onto a familiar ghost of Inuyasha's past. How will they handle it? Only through disaster and hilarity will their relationship remain strong.


Ahh, konichiwa. This seems to be my first fanfic, which I did basically because I was bored and a friend of mine was ranting about her fanfics. It seemed like a fun idea, so here's my shot at it. Let's hope it's not too bad. Gomen-nasai.

On such a warm, beautiful day as this, many could find under the nearest evergreen tree a troupe of carefree children, spending their free time in an innocent game of tag. However, this story begins under a particular evergreen tree, where more liable acts were taking place. A male monk, loosely honored to his practice, boldly graced a female demon slayer's lower waist. Testing his luck, he slowly made his way further down the forbidden plane, an art in which he was truly practiced. On a less defensive subject, he may have been successful; on this one, he wasn't.

Wincing from the snapping sound of a palm against a cheek, an infant male fox demon tried to ignore his surroundings. Before him was a luxuriously large apple, glistening in its ripeness amongst the rays of sunlight. As he opened his mouth to bite into the rewarding meal, he was met with a painful strike to the head. Where his apple used to be, there was nothing, and the older half-demon to his right now held it triumphantly in much the same way the fox demon had.

"Inuyasha!" The fox demon protested. "That was mine! You can't just take it like that!" The half-demon called Inuyasha glanced over, an indifferent expression now dominant over his facial features.

"Can't I, Shippo? Watch me." Inuyasha bit into the apple with a purposeful delay, allowing Shippo to see him savor every moment of it. It was little events such as this that allowed him to go about his day with a cheerful attitude. For Shippo, however, it was events such as these that spawned the almost brotherly hate he had for Inuyasha.

After having finished his delightfully stolen apple, Inuyasha yawned and glanced along the horizon. "Jeez, where is that Kagome? Can't she _ever_ get back here on time? One of these days...I'm just going to block up that stupid well once and for all." The monk shook his head, occasionally revealing a large red hand mark across his left cheek.

"Now, now, Inuyasha. Kagome has every right to visit her family from time to time. As a matter of fact, we keep her here much more often than we should."

"Miroku's right," The demon slayer spoke, with an annoyed expression still clearly visible across her face. "and considering your behavior, you should be glad she ever _does _come back." Inuyasha crossed his arms and contracted himself with a pouting noise.

"You're one to talk, Sango. You have Miroku around all the time to try and sweep you off your feet, don't you?" Sango returned Inuyasha's statement with a glare that could send the most confident of men crawling backwards in fear.

"Miroku has nothing to do with this. I have no affection for him whatsoever." Miroku's expression was indistinguishable from disappointment and pure dismay.

"Ah, Sango, that was harsh. Couldn't you be just a little more open with–" Miroku's speech was soon cut off by Inuyasha.

"What's that supposed to mean?" The half-demon spoke with a familiar tone of denial. "I don't have any affection for Kagome, you guys are all just weird." Inuyasha then stood up and began to dash off towards an unknown location.

At a likewise time, Kagome was just making her way through the Higurashi Shine. Her mother had insisted that she stay long enough to take a finished homemade bento meal with her to the Feudal Era. Having complied with her mother's wishes, Kagome now knew that she was late, and sprinted towards the shine's well. With a well-practiced hop over the side, she gracefully fell down the length of the tunnel. The trip was a familiar one as Kagome passed through the powerful rift that allowed her to transverse time. In an instant she had traveled back centuries, and now landed lightly on the floor of the Bone-Eater Well in Feudal Japan.

Resting against the side of the well for her was Kagome's bike, left there for convenience sake. By now, she was also a very well practiced biker, and used to the uneven dirt roads and landscapes of the Feudal Era. For this particular occasion, she made all due haste. She was aware of how late she was returning from her era, and even more aware of how unsettled that would cause Inuyasha to be. She smiled to herself as she recalled his difficult but humorous immaturity. Hopefully the homemade bento would cheer him up...

She had just about lost herself in thought, when she noticed a figure in the distance from the corner of her eye. Curiosity getting the better of her, she got off her bike and wandered into the bush towards the clearing where the figure resided. Peeking around the stump of a fallen tree, she saw a small demon with an almost purple-ish tint to its skin. It was sitting with crossed legs, staring into a bowl filled with a clear substance, smiling. Kagome was about to intrude on the scene, when a rustling of nearby bushes startled her, and she hid again.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had been dashing around for quite some time, and now reserved himself to a steady walking pace. He had taken a very roundabout route to the well, still not entirely sure of whether or not to he wanted to arrive there. He wanted to be there the moment Kagome arrived–not so much to greet her as to give her a piece of his mind for being late–but if he did he knew that the others would assume he had gone there purely out of worry for Kagome. They were probably already expecting him to go to the well, and they would just as likely think it was because he had been away from Kagome for too long.

As these thoughts filled his mind, Inuyasha decided to switch paths again and wander slightly off from the direction of the well. It wasn't long before this path brought him to a clearing, in which a small demon with an almost purple-ish tint to its skin sat with its legs crossed, staring into a bowl. Inuyasha approached the demon with no real regard to stealth, rustling bushes as he stepped into the clearing. The demon glanced up at him, and gave him a grave look.

"You have lost someone dear to you, have you not?" The demon's words sounded meaningful, and Inuyasha instantly recalled a particular person.

"I might have...what's it to you?" He began to recall memories of the priestess Kikyo, most particularly the memory of her final death at the hands of Naraku. The demon interrupted his thoughts by speaking once again in the same, meaningful tone.

"I am what's called a shamanic demon," Began the peculiar being. "I have the power to summon the souls of the deceased, even from across the abyss. If it offers any consolation...I could summon the soul of your priestess for you." Inuyasha jumped at these words.

"How do you know about Kikyo? Tell me, or I'll slice you so fast–" His words were rushed, but the demon showed no signs of fear. Instead, it simply raised its hand in silence.

"A shamanic demon is in touch with souls and their relations to the living. Your connection to this priestess is of such magnitude that I can clearly sense it. There is no need for further questions, just picture Kikyo in your mind, and look into the waters of my bowl." With the demon's words, Inuyasha obliged and pictured his late lover, Kikyo, vividly in his mind. When he opened his eyes and glanced in the bowl, a figure began to take shape in the formation of mist.

Inuyasha stared in a euphoric feeling of amazement as he was once again looking on the face of Kikyo, whom he thought he had lost for good. But when the spirit spoke, his delight was shattered.

"Inuyasha..." The figure of Kikyo echoed in a monotonous tone. "I have died twice for you...what is it that you could possibly seek from me at my final resting place? Is your love for me so strong yet that you would join me from across the grave?" Inuyasha stepped closer to the bowl.

"Kikyo...I wish I could follow you, but..." The figure of Kikyo reacted immediately to Inuyasha's words.

"Is it not that reincarnation of me with whom you travel? Has she become my better already? Inuyasha...remember our first kiss, that it was real. I was your first love...could you truly abandon me so?" Inuyasha looked thoughtfully.

"Kikyo..." He leaned further towards the bowl, his face about to break the surface of the water, when he was suddenly startled by the sound of something cutting through the air. Just as he pulled his face back, he recognized the kanji-inscribed strip of paper that was one of Miroku's seals. The seal attached to the side of the bowl, instantly shattering it. As the bowl broke, the demon fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Without the bowl, its soul was no longer complete. Within moments it stopped moving, and its body began to fade from existence.

Inuyasha turned to see Miroku standing before the same bush he had passed through earlier. Standing just behind Miroku was Sango, with Shippo standing cautiously by her side.

"What the hell did you just kill him for!" Inuyasha questioned Miroku's actions with a demanding tone.

"Inuyasha, listen." Miroku began. "That was not a shamanic demon. It was a demon that masquerades as one of great power and fools its victims into lowering their guard so that their souls can be imprisoned within a ceremonial object. If you had touched that water with your face, it would've been too late." Immediately after Miroku finished, Sango spoke as well.

"Kikyo is gone now, Inuyasha. Nothing will ever change that. The only way you'll ever be able to truly continue is if you just accept that. Think about Kagome! She's gone through countless trials for you, while Kikyo has only conspired to kill you!" Inuyasha looked thoughtfully towards the ground, breathing deeply.

"I know...Kagome is always there for me, and I appreciate her but...I can't just stop loving Kikyo! No matter how long it's been, no matter how far away she is, I just...can't forget her." Inuyasha's words beckoned a deep silence, broken only by sobbing sounds from behind him. He turned to see Kagome, having revealed herself from her hiding spot behind the tree stump. She said nothing, but merely turned away in tears and dashed for her bike. Inuyasha immediately took chase.

Kagome had overseen the entire confrontation, starting from when Inuyasha entered through the bushes. After having heard him say that he could never cease loving Kikyo, she couldn't take anymore. She peddled up a steep hill with the kind of ferocity few mountain bikers of the modern era could boast. The hill was nearly mountainous in slope, and became particularly steep at the very top of the summit. Kagome jumped off her bike and ran the rest of the way up the hill. Having reached the top she threw her bike aside and collapsed into a sobbing heap. Looking up momentarily, she saw Inuyasha dashing up the hill after her.

Inuyasha, being completely incapable of realizing that now was a good time to leave Kagome alone, wasted no time in chasing her up the hill. As he finally reached earshot of her he yelled what could likely have been the most disastrous line possible to him at the time.

"Kagome! Slow down and let me talk to you! It's not what it looks like!"

As he reached the very top of the summit, just a few feet away from Kagome, he saw her lift her face again and give him an expression of absolute distraught. At this moment, the horrible reality of the moment sunk into him. Here he was, at the edge of an incredibly steep hill, currently on one foot, with an angry Kagome right in front of him. He watched with terror as Kagomes lips moved to form a disgustingly familiar word.

"SIT!"

Inuyasha saw that familiar faint pulse of his necklace as the sensation of thousands of pounds on his chest dragged him down towards the ground. As his back made contact with the hill, the forces of gravity and the magic of the necklace combined to send Inuyasha tumbling limply all the way down the hill, hitting almost every rock, stump or bush on the way. What flopped to a stop at the bottom of the hill looked like nothing more than a crumpled pile of red and white.

Kagome immediately returned to her bike and headed full speed towards the well. She would think things out when she was safely back home. She reached the well in record time and jumped in, landing back in the familiar territory of her family's shrine. She spent most of that day alone in her room. Her family, realizing that she needed time alone, didn't bother her.

It wasn't until later that night that Inuyasha poked his head over the edge of Kagome's windowsill, looking into her room. From what he could see, it seemed that Kagome was already asleep. He lifted the window open by sliding his claws under the frame and slipped in. He stood there and stared at the supposedly sleeping Kagome for several moments before her voice ruptured the atmosphere of the moment.

"I'm awake, Inuyasha, you pervert. Sit." At the heed of her voice, Inuyasha collapsed on Kagome's floor. The resulting "crack" made Sota run into the room.

"Kagome, are you alright?" He scanned the room and quickly noticed a peculiar formation of red clothes and white hair on the floor. "Inuyasha! Hi there! Uhh...do you want something to eat?" Inuyasha glanced upwards almost instantly.

"Do I! I haven't eaten since–" He was cut off by Kagome's menacing glare. Kagome had just recalled that she had gone through the trouble of getting Inuyasha some homemade bento before leaving that he was _supposed _to eat before the whole trouble started.

"We have leftover curry from supper, it's still warm!" Interrupted Sota. Inuyasha looked crushed.

"Is that the stuff that makes your mouth feel like it's on fire? Uch, no thanks. Don't you have some of those noodle-bowl things?" Kagome sat up, still glaring at Inuyasha.

"Why, is curry too much for you? You wear the Robe of the Fire Rat but you can't take a little spice?" Kagome's taunt worked idealistically on Inuyasha, who narrowed his eyes.

"Of course not! Sota, I'll have some of that curry!" Sota received Inuyasha's urgent request with deligence, and was quickly out of the room. Moments later he returned with curry for himself, Kagome and Inuyasha. Kagame ate her curry with no change of expression, but Inuyasha carefully ate his food while fighting back tears and a runny nose.

"Ahh! It doesn't make sense! Food is supposed to be a treat, not a punishment! How can you guys eat this stuff?" Kagome laughed, which was her first smile in some time. Inuyasha felt relief wash over him to notice this. After the curry was finished, and Sota had gone to bed, Inuyasha asked Kagome to return to the Feudal Era.

"Sorry." She replied. "I'm going to spend the night here. I'll come back tomorrow morning. Don't worry, I won't be late." Inuyasha looked aloft towards the ceiling.

"Kagome...I'm sorry you had to see that. I know Kikyo's gone, and she hasn't been as good as you have...but even now I still can't seem to forget–" His words were cut off by Kagome, who was once again fighting back tears.

"That's enough. I understand, Inuyasha...you'll never really forget about Kikyo. Just remember...even if you can't forget about her, I still...lo–" Kagome was cut off as well as Sota jumped into the room.

"Hi guys! Mom said I could stay up late since Inuyasha was here." Sota surveyed the room to realize that both Inuyasha and Kagome were looking at him with annoyed expressions. "Err...is this a bad time?"

The following morning, Inuyasha awoke from his sleep at the entrance of the well to the sound of Kagome landing in the bottom. After helping her out, they turned to see Mirkou, Sango and Shippo nearby.

"I knew it, Inuyasha!" Yelled Shippo. "You slept at the well _just _so you'd get to see Kagome right away! You could've told us you were so eager to see her, we would've set up a camp here." Inuyasha pulled an apple from Kagome's bag and threw it at Shippo, who was hit squarely in the head. He fell backwards and started complaining that he'd get Inuyasha back for that attack. Kagome, meanwhile, uttered a disappointed "sit" to Inuyasha for throwing the apple, who began complaining that one day he'd break the necklace and run for it. As for Miroku and Sango...well, let's just say things were back to normal, and everyone winced once again at the result.


End file.
